United Four Wheel Drive Associations would like to announce the Best Trail Chef Contest that will be held on Thursday evening March 12, 2008. The contest will be open to everyone that wants to participate. You do not have to pre-register for the contest, we ask that you simply email business@ufwda.org to let us know that you will be participating in the contest. The registration for the contest will occur Thursday evening when you check in for the event. Participants can make anything that they would like and will be judged on taste, creativity and degree of difficulty for trail cooking.

Rules of the contest:• MUST BE A REGISTERED PARTICIPANT OF THE WHEEL-IN EVENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST.• You must use only what you can transport in your vehicle. In other words, you may not bring anything that will not fit within your vehicle. If you have to trailer a grill then it can not be used. You may use a grill if you can transport it in the vehicle. • You can use any ingredients that you would like to use- the sky is the limit. • All cooking must take place on site. You may not prepare anything in advance, unless you have a marinade that could be prepared and then taken on the trail.• You must have all food prepared by 7:30 p.m. and to the judges table.

We will have a panel of judges that you will be cooking for so you will need to prepare enough food for four people to sample. The judges will sample each dish and determine a winner that evening. Participants are welcome to cook enough for others to sample as well. The winner will have their recipe placed, if they want to share it,in the UFWDA Voice publication. If not, we will write an article about them and the competition. In addition, participant will win a trophy and a prize. The winner will also have bragging rights for a year as United Four Wheel Drive Associations’ top trail chef!

Chris, It is Chef's choice! That is part of the fun, to see what exciting menus the participants can come up with. I have had several phone calls about this event and at least one family that has signed up because of this event, so it should be an exciting competition.

It states cooking on site. Now will this be in the camping area at a designated spot or are we heading out to an undisclosed location on the trails? Just asking because of safety reasons as to what i would be carrying in the jeep for the cooking competition. Also you said we could bring a marinade that was made before we came does that mean the meat cannot be in said marinade before we start the competition?

Just trying to clarify a couple things before some folks take the rules as they see fit.

Tony, The meat can be in the marinade prior to the event. You just have to cook it at the event. Any marinades can be made ahead of time but any other prep work will need to take place during the contest hours at the event. The cooking will take place near the vendor area so that anyone that wants to watch can do so. You will not have to actually go out on the trail to do the cooking, it will be in a safe location at the vendor area. Does this mean that you are throwing your hat into the ring and competing?ThanksMarti

I am working on getting the time off from my new job. I should have 4 pay periods by that time which would allow me to come down on thursday. I also have 2 personal days but, may need those for other things.

I am working on getting the time off from my new job. I should have 4 pay periods by that time which would allow me to come down on thursday. I also have 2 personal days but, may need those for other things.